Thomas Thornley's Story

Well the day was pretty normal to be honest. I was at college and became the counsellor of our whole unit at college. I'm doing performing arts and we were doing a panto. I was going to be Aladdin. We had nearly finished our script. Life was pretty good for me at the time, I just did what normal 17 year olds do.

Went out with friends, had a laugh, got a bit drunk and I took the odd drugs because life gets pretty boring and you might think less of me because I'm the only one on here that had a stroke because of drugs. But to be honest I don't care, I want to tell my story.

I don't take anything any more as I realise now its not worth it. It was speed that did it 2 me...putting the shit up my nose it goes straight to your brain DON'T DO IT EVER.

I know I shouldn't really talk about it but maybe it was for the best that this happened. You have to learn some how...I learned the hard way. At first everything was all good. The last thing I remembered was calling some one, then next minute it was Friday morning. My stroke happened on Wednesday.

My friends just thought I was too mashed up, because I was kind of known for getting that way. I was complaining of a headache at the back of my head. It went on for days. Well 2 days and apparently I was telling my mate to close the window and pointing to the wall. I don't know if that was the drugs or the strokes or both. I had 3 strokes and I don't know when they all happened. It made me all confused and I thought I had been home and done a full day, then gone back to my mates and had some more speed.

I asked my friend what day it was and he said Friday and I was like "where are my fags"? He said "you don't have any".

I was sure I had been to the cash point and the shop and I said "where have I been" and he said "you have been here since Wednesday" and I was like oh my god and it felt like flu to be honest never thought in a million years I would have strokes but that's life.

I said to my mate I'm going and I tried walking home. People were walking past me and staring at me. I could barely walk and I stopped at the end of the street, then my mate come and said come on your coming back. I looked drunk like really really drunk I just slept all day until someone I knew give me a lift home then I just went to sleep until Saturday but the funny thing is, I said to my friend I will just have a bath and then I will go out. That bit never happened. I told my mum that I had the flu and I told my friends that I had the flu because that's what I thought had. My mum even got stuff to treat the flu. My little sister said that isn't flu and they called my step dad (he's my dad really) and when he looked at me he knew I didn't have flu so he called the ambulance. They were asking me funny questions like "can you see us all all right" and I was looking at them, all my vision was just blurred and one of them said what I mean is do we all look beautiful and I said yeh apart from him (the male one) I'm glad I hadn't lost my sense of humour. They were holding fingers up and asking me how many they were holding up. I got them all right and they was shining a torch in my eyes and telling me to follow thier finger but in my head it was me stuck in a body that didn't work. That's what annoyed me most. I went to hospital and they knew I had 3 strokes. It didn't take them long to diagnose this.

I was really, really shocked. A stroke at my f........g age. "WTF do they not happen to old people".

For ages doctors were coming and going, looking at my eyes telling me to touch the tip of my nose and then the tip of their finger (used 2 get on my nerves that did). Physio started pretty soon like a week after but for the first 2 weeks I was asleep mainly and I used to laugh at shit that ain't funny. My mates mum came and told me about her mum being in another ward...I laughed and that really is not me. I care about people and she used to be like a 2nd grand mother to me when I was a kid. I looked like a heartless b****** but it was not coming from me, it was like I was possessed and it really confused me, I just wanted to go out and have fun but I couldn't walk and my voice went slurred as if I was drunk. Someone phoned me and I was like "I'm in hospital" and she thought I was drunk and she was like "See ya".

Later, when she found out I was on the mend, pretty fast to be honest, I don't know where I'd be without the physio's. I just want to thank you all. My speech got better on its own, I didnt have one speech therapy session. It's just been getting better week by week, now all that is wrong is my left hand (I'm left handed). I will have to have someone write for me in college and I have a performance coming up (Romeo & Juliet). I want to be Romeo, I know I can do it. Yes, so that's my story. I just want to thank again, all the nurse's physio's and doctors.

Thank you so much for helping me recover and I also want to thank my mum who was there every day to see me. I also want to thank all my friends who come to visit me, its times like that you know who your mates are. I love you all, your like my family, I would not have stuck it out without you lot and all!

All I can say is DON'T USE DRUGS especially not up your nose - it goes straight to your brain - its not worth it people trust me, I know more than anyone what they do to you its not good at all so yen I will be famous one day people

hahahaaaa see ya later xxxxxxx

Thanks to Thomas for sending in his profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)

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